Hey, I know some people like to discover the 'rules' of a game themselves, whereas others get irritated by having to do so. If you're in the former category then stop reading now.

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Okay, then.

To escape you simply have to survive until dawn. This means waiting 8 'bells' (listen for the tinkling sounds) to pass, at which point the big doors where you entered the building will be unbarred and you can escape. (You'll hear an unbolting sound. It will also get lighter outside).

There are two things that can kill you: cold and ghosts.

When you start to get cold, your view will start shivering; you then need to act quickly to stave off cold:

• Keep the fire burning - in the centre of the building is a fire. This will keep you warm if you stand by it, but needs fuel; burnable things. You have some on you when the game starts, but must gather some from around the rooms - debris on the floor can be picked up by walking over it, and lamps and tables can be smashed for further wood and paper to burn. Transfer fuel to the fire simply by standing next to it.
• Keep moving - walking and (particularly) sprinting (hold Shift) will keep you warm (note that you can't pick up debris while sprinting). You can't just wibble around on the spot either, you need to actually travel at least a small distance.
• Stay away from leaks - walking under where the chilly rain is coming in will lower your temperature.
• Stay out of the ichor - the ghosts leave puddles of icy black ichor; try to avoid it.

Ghosts get more numerous, faster, and bolder as the night goes on. To avoid being eaten by ghosts:-

• Keep moving - they travel quite slowly, at least to start with.
• Keep looking around - they will try and sneak up on you, but will vanish when looked at.
• Corners and dead-ends are useful places to stand for a bit; you can't be snuck up on - but you will start to get cold (see above).
• The fire repels ghosts, as long as stays fueled up.
• When you hear a chuckle or gasp, there's a ghost behind you - sprint away, or turn and face it. Do not run blindly into a wall.

Strategies

You might think that standing near the fire and spinning like a top might work but (a) the fire will go out, maybe without you noticing, and (b) the ghosts might get fast enough to grab you anyway.

I found the best strategy is: in the early game, collect as much debris (fuel) as possible and stock up the fire. Identify a couple of secure dead-ends, and make sure you can find them again. As the ghosts get more numerous, repeat the following: hide in a dead-end (watching the approach) until you start to shiver, run back to the fire (gathering fuel on the way) and get warm, run back to your secure place.